On January 2, 2017 at 15:52, goldenzrule said...
I have certain clients I will answer and help at any time as well. It's not based on the size of the project, but how they treat me. I treat all my clients the same, but some people go out of their way to let you know they appreciate you and the work you do. They get special treatment.
This is an appropriate comment. There are some people you will help anytime, while others just have to realize that you don't work 24/7.
Some people call or text when they have an issue, or just when they are thinking about it, so they don't forget to let you know. So, the hour that it arrives, that doesn't bother me as much as it may bother you.
Let's face it, if you are the boss, and you work for people, expectations may not always be what they should be. There are just going to be times when you have to let that crud roll off your back and forget about it. Some people look for a fight, and will be amazed if you just stay cool and ignore some of the BS that comes with reporting an issue. Give them time to cool down, and don't ramp up the tension. If they can settle down and deal with you like human beings should, then you have done your job. There may be certain clients where you have to draw the line and tell them that this is not how it's going to work and cut it out.
I am 40 years into the electronics business, so I am not trying to conquer the world like some of you are. I think you have to decide what kind of installer you want to be. I am a Total Control dealer, but the majority of my work is single room component systems and Sonos music around the house. The result is that I can use URC CCP for most all of my work, and as you know, it is a fairly trouble-free system. I do read most every post on total control, control4, and the like. They allow you to offer the client a more amazing experience, but with the glitches that I read about, there is a price to be paid for that next level of technology. It seems we are the guinea pigs for stuff that gets rolled out and is not quite bulletproof.
The reason for that last paragraph is, you have to decide if you want to offer that kind of technology that naturally is going to give you more trouble calls. It really comes down to whether you have the stomach for being the troubleshooter and quick follow up guy when these systems go down. If you have it, keep rolling with it. If those kinds of trouble calls and clients are giving you ulcers, you need to reevaluate the kind of installer you want to be.
Oh, and you have to be able to tell people you can't start their system tomorrow when you already have a ton of work backed up. Overpromising will burn you out as quickly as anything else in this industry.
